We Are One, Accept It
by Jayjaylemony
Summary: Sakura attends Cross Academy, where the night class is made up entirely of Vampires. She is adjusting to her new life, and meets Zero, who has gone through the same as she has, but refuses to talk to her, and won't let go of Yuuki. Will he accept her?
1. Prison Bars and Wings

* * *

  


* * *

  


_**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight, or any of its characters, other than Sakura Yakuza.**_

_In this story, one of my personal favorites of my own, Yuuki Cross has followed a path with Kaname Sama, and has chosen to become a vampire. She is now a vampire, and in the Night Class. She and Kaname Sama are a pair now. Keep these facts in mind, as they will be a vital part of the story._

* * *

The door shut quietly behind me, and I stepped out into the moonless night. A frigid, chilly breeze swept by me, bringing back the icy memories of my past. I shook them off, and focused on the present. I took a step forward, my boots soundlessly moving across the pavement. As I looked into the deep, evergreen woods, I couldn't help but think that the evening seemed almost as dark as my future. The only light that I could see was coming from the elaborate, almost so overly intricate that it was eerie. It reminded me of the ghost stories that my mother used to tell me when I was little. She would sit at the foot of my bed, turn off all of the lights, and scare me out of the sheets. Every time somebody entered the house. Every time somebody died.

I forced those dark, foreboding thoughts away, storing them in my sub-consciousness, and took long, determined strides that made me look a whole lot braver than I really felt. In the distance, I could hear the wheels of the car bouncing along the pavement, leaving me to walk into my doom all by myself. The mansion was getting closer, making it seem so large I would have to bend backwards to see the top. I felt disconnected from my feet, so it was almost as if the house was walking to me, rather than vice-versa.

The more that I thought about it, the more I wanted to go back. By the time that I reached the front door, I was so close to turning around and running away, had the door not swung open and a boy stepped out. He held the door open with his left arm, and looked me up and down, as if I was a disgusting little rat on the floor. I shied away from him bashfully, wondering if I'd made his 'I approve' list. I hadn't. He had spoken to me in a disgusted tone, obviously not impressed with my clothing. "You're new." Terse, to the point, and very obvious.

"Yes." I replied. His face was beautiful, flawless, and his eyes spellbinding and hypnotic. I feel as though I might have fallen into them had I not regained footing.

He rolled his eyes at me, and ordered me to follow him. "Headmaster Cross is itching to meet you." He told me, his voice unconvincing. "What's your name?" He asked, not even bothering to turn to look at my face.

"S-Sakura." I stuttered. _Stupid, stupid, stupid! He's out of your league, idiot!_ I didn't like him, but he _was_ intimidating.

"What happened to the last name?" He demanded. Now I _really_ wanted to run.

My last name was never a topic I was comfortable discussing. "Yakuza." I had said, a little bit stronger now. My father used to play a card game in which any number below twenty was good. Though the numbers 8-9-3 seemed to add to a large sum, it added up to twenty, which meant you got yakuza.

To be _yakuza _means to be worthless.

I shuddered at the thought of being worthless. When I lived with my master, I was forced to work hard. Whenever I screwed up, Master would curse under his breath and called me a worthless little twit. Since I had never known my parents, I didn't know my last name, so after a while, he began to call me Yakuza.

He snorted. "Nice last name, worthless." I cringed at the words, and let a single tear slide down my face. He must have saw me crying, so he quickly said, "I'm sorry. My name's Aidou. I'm sorry for being so rude. I had to skip class for this." Though uncertain and still upset, I nodded slowly, and wiped the tear away with the back of my hand. Classes at night? How cool was that?!

We approached an ornate door, carved to perfection. Aidou knocked on the door gently, and we waited. Nothing. He knocked again, a little harder now. Once again, there was no answerer. This time, he was pounding on the door with all of his might. "Headmaster Cross!" He shouted. "Wake up! Someone wishes to meet you!" I could hear feet hit the floor, and then reluctantly trudge across it to the door.

The door opened a crack, and I caught a glimpse of a man with glasses. He, too, scrutinized me, but this time, I did not feel nervous. As soon as he had gotten a good look at me, he seemed to have come to life. The door swung open, smacking Aidou in the face. The man grabbed my hand and began to shake it up and down vigorously. "And you must be Sakura…Yakuza." Even headmaster Cross had trouble saying it. He looked at me pitifully, and said, "Come inside. Let's figure out that schedule of yours."

He let go of my hand and I followed him into the dark room. He turned on the lamp, and there before me was and office, with a desk and a round carpet. There was an open door to the right, and beyond it there was a bedroom, the bedspread ruffled slightly. Headmaster Cross shut the door behind me, and took a seat in his desk. I gazed around the room once; it was neat, as if a tidiness storm had blown through, and the only trace of messiness was a piece of paper on the floor. My eyes then settled on him. He was middle-aged, with gray hair that was once a fair, blonde color, I could tell. He was still in his nightclothes, wearing a stupid, pointy hat that you only see in Manga books. His hair was tied up in a casual ponytail, and his glasses were the tiniest bit crooked.

"So, I didn't quite catch it. You _are_ Sakura Yakuza, yes?" He asked, taking a stack of papers on the right side of his desk and briefly flipping through them. I gave him a quick nod. "Wonderful!" He began frantically searching for something. "Oh, where did I put it?" He mumbled.

"Hmm?" I asked, not quite hearing.

"Your schedule, where did I put your schedule?" He checked in every one of the six desk-drawers and lifted up his books to see if it was beneath them. I took another quick glance around the room and spotted the lone sheet of paper, cold and by itself on the floor. I slid out of my seat and picked it up. "Ah!" He said as I handed it to him. "Here it is." He removed his glasses and picked up a pair of wire reading glasses. As he adjusted them into place, he set the paper on the desk in front of him.

"Ok, so here it is. Your dorm number is 115. Here's a map." He peeled a paper off the stack, circled my dorm and then handed it to me. I took a look at it and a bell went off in my head.

"I think you got it wrong. I shouldn't be in this dorm." I said. The dormitory he had circled had been the Moon Dormitory, which was where the night class stayed. I did not belong to the night class.

"Oh, no. I believe I got it right." He smiled at me.

"But…aren't there special requirements you have to meet to be in the night class?" I asked. I knew the answer.

He looked shocked for a few moments, then shook his head and said, "Do you know what the requirements are?" I shrugged. He sighed and murmured under his breath, "How do I explain this?" Then, raising his voice, "Well…My records say that you have been…er…bitten, by a certainsomethingthatyoumayormaynotremember." I tried to work his words through my mind.

"Um…" The lingering dark memories from earlier brightened, and flashed before my eyes. A scream in the night, blood on my parents, their cold, still bodies. And then, teeth. Those awful, gleaming white, dagger-sharp teeth. A voice, _It will be over soon._ Pain, and lots of it. Oblivion. The color was drained from my face. I gulped loudly, and nodded sharply. Cobwebs were caught in my throat, so no voice came out. The words rang clear as a bell in my mind, _Yes, I remember, _but they were caught in the web.

He caught my blank, pale expression, and hustled forward, "Oh, that's good. It was a pureblood, yes?" I tried to make sense out of these words, as well, but it was of no use. I had never heard the term before. I shrugged a second time. "I think it was. You are in the Night Class. It may be difficult at first…they tend to…lose control at times." That didn't sound too good. He quickly added, "But don't worry, Kaname Sama and Yuuki Cross will do their best to make sure nobody's hurt."

I glared at him. I did not like the situation I was in. I _did not_ want to be in a dorm with vam-va-_them._ Just humans would do. I shook my head. "I can't be with the Night Class. It's either that I'm in the Day Class, or I'm outta here, and I'm telling everyone I know not to come here either." That was harsh, but I figured he deserved it.

He laughed. He _laughed._ Of all the things to do, he _laughed at me._ "Ha! Alright. I'll see what I can do." He picked up the pile of papers and flipped through them again. "Hmm…" He said every once in a while. It was making me nervous. I began to fiddle with my thumbs, and I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he yelled, almost so loud I fell out of my seat, "Ah ha!" I looked at him expectantly. "It seems I have just remembered that Yuuki Cross is no longer in the Day Class! I'm so dumb. I'll tell you what." He said, and I nodded wisely. "I'll give you her old room and put you in the Day Class…_if_ you promise to behave, _and_ join the Disciplinary Committee."

I was far too eager to accept. "Of course! Oh, thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!!" I practically knocked him over in an attempt to hug him.

He sighed, adjusting his glasses again, and said, "Here's your uniform." He handed me a white shirt, a black jacket, a black skirt, and black socks. "Shoes are of your choice, must be black or white, yaddayaddayadda." He said. "It looks as though you are off the hook. Here is your new dorm." He circled the other building on the map. "And your room number is 115, same as if you were still in the Moon dormitory. Your roommate will help you around tomorrow, I'll see to that, and the disciplinary committee duties begin after your classes. You will meet up with Zero Kiryu after school, the other disciplinary committee member, and he will give you the proper instructions. Got it all?"

I was too excited to answer. I was free!—almost. But no more slave work around the estate for Master, just kicking back, doing school work, and having fun. I made a mental note in my head about that Zero Kiryu guy. "Thank you, Headmaster Cross, for everything." I collected my bags, and my uniform, and slipped out of the room, passing through the hallways.

Those _beasts_ lurked in the shadows, and I saw them in the classrooms. I heard a teacher explaining the Vampire class system, and so I stood on my tiptoes and peeked through the window. I saw all of those students, beautiful and perfect, just like that guy Aidou. There was only one girl who stood out from the rest—imperfect, slightly flawed, messy, and just plain different. She was more beautiful than any human, and yet more rugged than any of _them_. Behind her sat a tall, devastatingly handsome guy, his hand on her shoulder, his lips so close to the bare skin on the nape of her neck. I felt a pang of jealousy. Someone so average, so normal, got him. Somebody like me.

Suddenly, the teacher looked my way and pointed to the door, and the boy stood, taking long, graceful strides towards me. Closer, closer, closer. _Why aren't you running?_ The voice in my mind commanded. I was afraid, I didn't know what to do. The knob slowly turned, and he pushed the door open. For an agonizingly painful, yet beautiful moment, our eyes met, and I felt as though I would melt. I was a deer, caught in the headlights of a truck speeding down the highway. He said a million things without saying anything. I could feel my breath become ragged; we were the only two on the planet.

The deer bolted.

* * *

_Hi everyone! This was my first chapter of my first _Vampire Knight_ fanfic. For those of you who have just finished reading it, please, please, PLEASE review! I've already received one fantastic review from Jvonr92. REVIEW! DO YOU KNOW HOW SAD IT IS TO NOT GET ANY REVIEWS ON A STORY YOU WORKED SO HARD ON?? Calming down... I know writing all of this won't really get you to review, but please just take that extra 5 minutes of your life to review this story!_

* * *


	2. Hero?

_Two reviews! Thanks you guys ! But PLEASE, I'm BEGGING YOU TO REVIEW! 29 Hits, people! That should equal 29 reviews!_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight, or any of its characters, other than Sakura Yakuza.**_

* * *

Yori and I had bonded quickly. We stayed up chatting until the students in the room next door complained. Yori was so upset that Yuuki had moved to the Night Class, since they were best friends. She said that one-day, once she could figure out and reach the requirements to be in the Night Class, she would move there, too. I giggled at the ferocity of her tone of voice. She was so determined.

After I had gotten up at 5:30 in the morning, I walked in front of the tall mirror in the bathroom, studying my outfit. _Not bad,_ I smiled at myself, _I expected much worse._ I spent half an hour trying out different hairstyles to wear on my first day of school, trying to decide between fancy French braids or cute buns on either side of my head. In the end, however, I tied my hair up in my usual: a plain ponytail, with my short, thin bangs brushed to the right side of my face. I placed the strawberry-blonde ponytail over my right shoulder, trying to create an elegant look.

I put on my long, knee-length stockings, and put on the only pair of shoes I had brought, which was a pair of black, leather boots. I thought that I looked sleek in my mostly-black uniform. It was actually kind of stylish.

I picked up my new textbooks: Math, English, Science, and History. I rummaged through my suitcase and pulled out my schoolbag, dumping all of the textbooks in. Yori got up and took a shower as I slung my bag over my shoulder, waving a quick goodbye to Yori before heading for the door.

"Why are you leaving so early?" She asked me, a little bit puzzled.

"I figure I should get to know all of the teachers before class starts." I replied. "You want to come?"

"Nah. I have to last-minute study for my Calculus exam. But here," She said, reaching into her drawer, "Tie this in your hair. It'll look nice." She handed me a red ribbon, and I tied it around my hair band, pulling it into a neat, pretty bow. "Great! _Now_ you're ready to meet the teachers." She winked at me, and I closed the door quietly behind me.

* * *

I walked noiselessly down the hallway. It was lit dimly, not exactly a modern place, but cozy and inviting all the same. I could hear the other girls in the dorm yawning and climbing out of bed, preparing for school. There was laughter and gossip, something I hadn't heard for over seven years.

I looked down the spiraling staircase, and decided to have some fun by sliding down the banister. Another Day-Class student at the bottom of the staircase caught me, and reprimanded me, "Hey! What're you doing?! No sliding on the railing!"

I nodded and bowed respectfully. "Please forgive me, sir. I didn't mean to cause trouble." I looked up at his face. He was definitely the most beautiful _human_ I'd ever seen, if that's what he was. His face was not as kind and forgiving as the vampire's had been, and he wasn't classically handsome, but he had a charm that made me feel lust for him anyways.

He stared back down at me. I was a good head shorter than he was, and he made me feel rather small. "Are you a new student?" He asked with a very authoritative voice.

"Yes. I'm starting here today." I said, flashing him a quick smile that I hoped was attractive.

"Great." He mumbled, in a way that made it seem like it wasn't so great. I had the feeling he didn't want me to be there at all. Then, directing it at me, "What's your name?"

"I'm Sakura." I said, sticking out my hand for him to shake. He backed away from it, as if he would never touch a hand of such a lowly little girl. I hadn't noticed that I had been blushing furiously. "What's your name?" I asked.

He inhaled sharply, and said, "I'm—" A piercing shriek pierced the air. Was that the bell? The boy took off towards the gates, where the Day Class students gathered. One by one, the Night Class students walked out of the building, classy and with an air that made me feel like a dirty servant in their presence. They were all so beautiful, but I guess that was just one of the benefits of being one of _them. _The boy opened the gates, and was like a traffic director, making sure that the Day Class and the Night Class didn't bump into each other. I was left, with my right hand extended, waiting for an imaginary hand to shake mine.

I didn't get a chance to meet and get to know the teachers, so you can bet how mad they were when I walked into the classroom late. "Young lady, why are you five minutes late?" My first teacher had asked.

I turned to face the class, only to find a room full of students, all of them staring at me. I gulped, maybe a little too noisily, and said, "I-I'm really sorry, sir. I'm new here. It's my first day."

The teacher was merciless. "Go down to the office and get a tardy slip. Fill it out and bring it back here." The class snickered. "I'll be seeing you in detention." I just stood there, motionless, mouth open, looking stupid. "What are you waiting for? You're lucky you're new, or else I'd be giving you a referral right now."

"Sir." A voice from the students. The teacher turned to face the boy who had caught me sliding down the banister earlier that morning.

"What?"

"It's my fault that she was late to class today." The teacher grunted an unsatisfied grunt in response. "I could escort her to get a pass." He said slowly. "It's the least I can do." There he was, my guardian angel sent down from heaven by the hands of god, but he came in the form of a Day Class student of Cross Academy. I almost sighed out loud.

"Very well. The two of you, get out of here." We left.

He strode down the hall purposefully, while I followed him. For every step he took, I took two. I was merely a little girl standing next to him. I hurried to catch up to him. We walked in silence for what seemed like an hour, but finally I broke the tension by saying, "Thanks for helping me back there."

He shrugged. "I don't wanna hear it." _That was rude. _I thought suspiciously. _One moment he's my hero, and the next, he's a bully. _He continued to walk at a running speed, not even looking at me once. The hallways suddenly seemed like a frozen tundra, stretching on forever and ever beyond mountains of fears and worry.

We reached the office. We went in, and Zero began mumbling things to the assistant, and she handed us a little yellow slip of paper. He snatched it off the counter, almost crumpling it in the process.

It was the same thing on the way back. No talking, no chatter, no smiling, nothing. When we reached the classroom, I was going to say thanks, but snapped my mouth shut, just so that I wouldn't be mortified when he said, _I don't wanna hear it. _The boy opened the door for himself, letting it close before I got the chance to stop it. No common curtsey.

The rest of the day was miserable, miserable torture. It was as if every minute I was getting closer to freedom. But every minute seemed to drag on for hours.

We learned about the basics: Physics, calculus, trigonometry, biology, grammar and spelling, the World War two, and so on so forth. I was a talented note taker, and jotted down just about every word that came out of the teacher's mouth. We had a quiz in Calculus. Yay. I think I made it out with a solid B, but who knows?

By the time the bell rang, I was so eager to get out of my seat and go back to my dorm that I ran to the front of the class and almost sprinted the rest of the way to the gates, where I was supposed to met Zero Kiryu. I was looking forward to meeting a friendly Disciplinary Committee member to talk to.

For a long time, I just sat there and waited. I suspected that he would stand out in a crowd, that he would look different, maybe wear different uniform, but I was wrong. I must have waited for a long time before I finally started asking around for Zero Kiryu. The rude boy in class walked by me, towards the gates, and I asked him. "Do you know a Zero Kiryu?"

He ignored me. I kept on pestering him, following him around and around until he finally wheeled around to face me, yelling, "Yes! I am Zero Kiryu! Get it? Now shut up and leave me alone!"

_Somebody_ was a little bitter.

He stormed off towards the gate, and you could almost _see_ the clouds of anger fuming from his head. Black mood all over the place. I just stood there, waiting for him to turn around and say, "But how can I help you, anyways?" He never did. I still didn't let that get me down, and ran off after him.

"But…I'm the new Disciplinary Committee member!" I yelled after him. As soon as I said it, it was as if the pause button had been hit, for he froze in his tracks. I even had to look around just to make sure that everybody else was moving. Thank goodness they were.

"What did you say?" He asked, without turning to face me. How kind of him to ignore me. I remained silent, and shrugged my shoulders, even though I was sure he wouldn't see me. He waited there for a few moments, then spun around on his heels, grabbing the collar of my shirt. "I _said,_ what did you say?"

I stared back at him, trying to look strong and defiant. But the burning anger in his eyes overwhelmed me, and I could feel his own grip relax as I did, "I-I said I am on the Disciplinary Committee." He released his deathgrip on my coat collar, and just stood there, looking at me in disbelief. I took this time to straighten up my shirt, now wrinkled by his clasp.

Finally, he just shook his head, throwing his hands up in the air. "Leave it to old Cross to put an idiot on the Disciplinary Committee." He mumbled. I thought I could hear him say, "He might as well put himself on it."

I folded my arms across my chest insubordinately, hanging around and waiting for him to make some stupid remark about the ribbon in my hair, or my fair hair. But he never did, and for once I was relieved that I had been wrong.

We could hear squeals of delight coming from the gates, and all the girls were rushing to see the Night Class. As Zero turned to run, he pointed an accusing finger at me and commanded, "You! Stay right where you are." I pouted, then sat where I was.

I watched as Zero did his job. He blew his whistle, pushing the members of the Day Class back as the Night Class walked by. He led the Day Class one way, and the Night Class the other way. Impressive.

I had to disobey him by scrambling off the path as the Night Class walked daintily towards the school. I sat on a rock nearby, hugging my knees to my flat, underdeveloped chest. I sighed, and thought about home. I grew bored, and watched as Zero wrapped up by closing the gates. The Night Class was so beautiful, elegant, dainty, and gorgeous. As much as I hated them, no amount of hatred could make me deny the truth: they were better than I was.

The few days here had not been going along as well as I had hoped. My mind began to wander to home, where my master lived. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I missed him. I missed the way he called me Yakuza, and I missed the way he worked me until I could work no more. But it was not really my master that I missed, it was just the atmosphere of being somewhere that I was used to, even if it was the same place that an evil master lived.

Thinking about home made me nervous, and I began absentmindedly licking my lips. I let my tongue glaze over the tips of my teeth, letting it dwell on my abnormally sharp canines. It was only when I wiped the spit on my hand that I realized I must have pricked my tongue with my tooth, for it was bleeding. The smell of blood was making me dizzy, so I buried my face in my hands. As soon as I felt better, I looked up—and came face-to-face with a group of bloodthirsty vampires.

"Mmm… Did anyone ever tell you your blood smells really good?" It was _her._ The normal-looking one with the drop-dead gorgeous boyfriend. I stood up, and backed up against a tree. The ravenous look in her eyes went away, and she covered her mouth and gasped. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I'm just…I'm still recovering from the bite. I don't know how to react to blood. I'm so sorry." She took my hand and helped me sit back on the rock. "You're the new girl, Sakura, right?" She was smart not to mention my last name.

"Yes." I said, and I put my hand over my mouth when I realized my voice was shaking.

"I'm really, really sorry about scaring you. Do you need any help with anything?" She looked sincere, as if she really wanted to help. _As if._ The vampires that were in her 'group' had never thirsted for my blood—they had learned to control themselves. I looked at each on of them, and nearly gasped when I saw that _he_ was there.

I shook my head. "I'll be fine. It's okay, by the way. You can't help it." _Trust me, I would know._ I thought in my head. She smiled sweetly. "Alright. But if you ever need any help at all, just ask, ok?" I nodded. She and the others walked into the school.

I swallowed the rest of the blood in my mouth, and stood up. I collected my bags, almost forgetting about Zero. When I looked towards the gates, I couldn't find him anywhere. I decided to just go back to the dorm and get some dinner. I finished gathering my books, which had been knocked on the ground when I stood up, and turned around.

I nearly fell backwards when I found Zero right behind me. "Forgot about my orders?"

I shook my head, looking like a total idiot. "No! No, I didn't."

He rolled his eyes and told me to follow him. "Come on, you're going to make us late for supper. Hurry up." I ran to catch up again.

"Where are we going?" I asked. I genuinely wanted to know.

"You and I are going to take a little visit to Headmaster Cross."

* * *

_You like it? Please review. I welcome flares, but you have to email me them. DO NOT GIVE RUDE COMMENTS ON YOU REVIEWS! Thanks!_


	3. Complaints

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight, or any of its characters, except for Sakura Yakuza.**_

_Thump. Thump._

"Come in." Zero pushed the door open, and urged me to follow him inside the modest room. I glared at him, hoping it was strong enough a glare to make him intimidated. Unfortunately, being Zero Kiryu, he wasn't swayed at all.

"You heard the Headmaster. Come _in_." And with that, he pushed me into the office, causing me to fall to my knees on the carpet. I got up and dusted myself off, trying to keep myself together before I lost control of my anger. I turned to walk out of the room, but Zero pounced on me, and squeezed in between me and the still-open door. "You're not going anywhere." He said, looking like a real disciplinary committee staff now, with his arms outstretched and blocking my path.

Headmaster Cross cleared his throat, startling us to glance his way. We had forgotten he was even there. "Zero, tell me why you have brought our newest student to me." He said, pushing his glasses down his nose in an attempt to get a better look at my face. "I wasn't expecting her to cause any trouble at all."

I turned around to look up at Zero, who was standing tall and attentively, as though he were in the army. "Headmaster, I believe we need to discuss certain matters. Perhaps you have made a mistake in your, er…" He looked down at me disdainfully. "Decisions." He continued.

"Zero, you know I make all my choices for a reason, and I do not think I have made any errors. But, please. I hate to see _you_ angry." He sighed sarcastically. "Grab a seat, both of you." He said, gesturing to two cushioned seats positioned at the desk across from his seat. Zero immediately sat down, and gave me a look that burned a hole through me. He was much better at doing the whole intimidating thing than I was. I quickly pulled myself into the chair. "Now," Headmaster Cross began, "What is your complaint _this_ time, Zero?" Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Zero's face color as he blushed.

"Headmaster, I understand you have chosen to put this student on the Disciplinary Committee, but for which reasons I cannot be sure." Zero stated. "You do know, Headmaster, that I am very well off on my own?" He asked with a hint of accusation in his voice.

"Zero, I know you are very capable. You have, um, _skills._ You are stern, and yet gentle enough to be a perfect Disciplinary Committee member." Headmaster Cross said. He wasn't doing a great job defending his argument. I saw Zero raise an eyebrow, as if this whole thing was going to be easier than he expected it to be. "But," Headmaster Cross continued. I watched as Zero's face grew sullen once more. "You are quite unstable. Surely you of all people would know that."

Zero's nails dug into the wood of the desk. He looked down, and quickly loosened his grip on the innocent wood. There were marks. "Headmaster Cross, I have been doing my job perfectly well. You have not had any complaints, and yet you let this sorry excuse for a Level E on the Disciplinary Committee." I just sat there, open-mouthed, drilling a hole through him with my death-glare. Zero threw his hands in the air. I guess I was better at it than I thought I was. "Look, the point of the matter is, she is completely new. You could have just employed another Day Class student with much more competence and experience."

"Zero, I am very fond of you, and I know you can be capable of taking on this task on your own, eventually. But for now, you must understand that complaints have been coming in, and students want you to contain yourself." Headmaster Cross said calmly. Just by looking at Zero's face I could tell he was not happy, but Cross seemed to know him well enough to remain tranquil.

Zero pushed his chair back and stood up. "What? Who complained? I have not done anything at all to upset anybody! Not even you!" He yelled at the Headmaster, who was still in his peaceful state of mind.

Headmaster Cross sighed doubtfully; as if he would deeply regret what he was about to do. "Zero, I want you to take a look at this." He pulled a single sheet of paper out of his desk drawer and slid it across the table to Zero.

Zero picked it up, but did not read it straight away, and said, "Just one? A single complaint?" He scoffed. "I'm sorry, Headmaster, but you really have finally gone insane. She," when he said this, he pointed at me, "Is not going to help me at all. She will only be a distraction!" He began to pass the sheet back to Headmaster Cross, but the Headmaster, pushed it back to Zero.

"Before you do anything further, read it." He kept his face serious. "I believe you will find this situation a bit more severe than you may have thought." Zero rolled his eyes, and picked up the paper again.

I watched as his eyes skimmed over the words. He sat facing me, doing whatever he could to keep me from reading it. I looked down, and twiddled with my fingers, trying to kill time. The anticipation of this was making me nervous, and I could no longer sit still. The next time I looked up, I saw that Zero's eyes had widened—whether in anger or in horror I did not know—and he was holding the page in his hands like it was all he had left of his life.

"It's not true!" He finally shouted, so loudly that I almost fell backwards. He was on his feet again, pointing that accusing finger of his at Headmaster Cross now. Suddenly, a sorrowful look spread across his face, softening his features. He was almost begging, "You have to believe me! Kaname-Sama is a lying little twit! I-You have to believe me!"

Headmaster Cross shook his head and shrugged. "Zero, I don't know. But my point is, I think it's best for you to have somebody by your side until we figure this mess out. I love you like you are my son, but you haven't shown any appreciation. Kaname-Sama has."

Zero looked completely lost now. "But-but he…Ugh!" He threw his arms up in the air for the second time, and a part of me longed to comfort him.

I reached a hand out to him, "Zero, I—" He slapped it away.

"Just leave me alone, okay?" I nodded, and he stormed out of the office, tossing the paper over his shoulder as he went. I picked it up.

_Dearest Headmaster,_

_Yuuki is still adapting to being a night class student, as you may very well know. However, she is finding it quite difficult, as Zero Kiryu is still attempting to drink her blood. He has feelings for her, but it is distracting her from the rest of the world. I only ask you kindly to watch his behavior, and to put on another member for the Disciplinary Committee, to watch him, and to be sure that he does not try anything with Yuuki._

_I trust you to make the right decision, and I know you will choose somebody that will be perfect for the job. _

_Thank you for all of your patience,_

_Kaname_


	4. Sakura's Nightmare

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight, or any of its characters, except for Sakura Yakuza.**_  


* * *

My mother and I walked hand-in-hand, through the Japanese garden we had planted years ago. Unlike the green of the weeds and crops grown in the rural parts of Japan, our garden was flourishing with exquisite shades of plum, pink, rose, and red. Our plot of land was huge, and our garden stretched on and on for miles. When our house was far behind us, my mother released her grip on my hand and elegantly perched herself on a slab of stone, just a little ways of the dirt path. She plucked a flower from a cherry tree, and I wished I had brought a camera, for it would have been a beautiful picture, with her, blossom in hand, legs set to her side like a mermaid. "Sakura," She called to me, and I ever so obediently wandered to her side. "Sakura, do you know what this is?" She asked, offering me the light rose-colored bloom to me. I gently took it from her hands, and lightly pressed it against my face, wanting to remember this moment.

"_Yes, mama." I twirled the little bud in my hands, and took in the delightfully fragrant essence of the foliage surrounding us. "It's a pink flower." I nearly whispered. She smiled at me knowingly, and I knew already that I hadn't gotten it right. But she threw her head back and laughed at me, a light-hearted, melodic laugh._

"_Yes, dear, it is a pink flower. But do you know what kind of flower it is?" She asked me. She plucked another one from the branched, and tossed it in the air. My eyes followed it as it gently floated to the ground. I shook my head in an ashamed manner. I wanted to know, and it was foolish of me not to. _

"_No, mama. I don't." I wiped a tear from my eye. She extended her arms, inviting me to come closer. I embraced her, and buried my face in her shoulder. She patted my back, muttering words of encouragement._

"_Sakura, it is no shame that you do not know what this flower is. It is a rare plant, unheard of in most places other than Japan." I nodded, urging her on. I wanted to know what this was leading to. "This," she said, tucking the short stem of the flower behind my ear, "Is a cherry blossom. It is called Sakura." I blinked, shocked at the sound of my own name. She caught my puzzled expression and pulled me close to her again. "It is what I named you after. You are a cherry blossom, Sakura." She stood up, and circled the tree once, looking for something. When she found it—a perfect, flawless cherry blossom—she tugged it off of the branch, and pressed it into the palm of my hand, raw and pink from the stinging cold. "When we get home, Sakura, I want you to keep this in a special place, but when you pick a place to put it, tell me, okay?" I nodded respectfully. "It'll be our flower, alright?" I nodded again. She smiled, tossing her long, straight, beautiful black hair over her left shoulder. She reached out to take my hand once more, and I stretched up to place mine in hers._

_We walked back to our house, hoping to get there before it grew dark. Dusk was falling, and our home was a mile away. I grew tired about halfway along the walk, so she lifted me into her arms, and I rested my head against her, quelling my lethargy in sleep._

_When I awoke later that evening, I was lying in my bed. Instinctively, my hand felt around me, searching for my flower. I couldn't find it. But, a thought came to me, and I pulled the one that rested behind my ear in front of me. My mother had replaced the normal one with the perfect one, and I dangled my feet over the side of my bed, feeling for a sturdy place to put my feet on the floor. I stood up, and turned on the lights. I immediately began looking for a place to put my flower, and then I found it—an elegant glass case, that used to hold my mom's old rose quartz necklace, until she lost it. I put the stem into the hole that was at the bottom of the case, and placed the glass back over it. I hurried out of the room to carry out my promise._

_My mother was on the deck, leaning far over the railing, gazing up at the stars. She was a free spirited person, one who loved nature, and took in the mysterious wonders of the world. I began to think that she, if anyone, would know the answers to the questions of the universe. I lightly tapped her ivory, silky-smooth arm, and she spun around, hair twirling behind her. "You're awake, darling." She smiled, and bent down so that we were eye-to-eye. "What is it?_

"_The flower, mama. I put it in your necklace case." I pointed to my bedroom._

_She hugged me, and whispered in my ear, "I knew that you would choose the perfect place for it. You have class, just like me." She giggled, and put me down on my feet again. "If it's ever missing, you keep in mind that I'll have it, okay? It's _our_ flower, after all." I nodded, as I didn't find confidence in my voice much at all. "It's late. Go to bed now, dear."_

_I skipped off to my room, humming the tune of "Sakura" as I went. I slid beneath the covers, and snuggled up to my pillow. I lay there, awake, for over an hour, just listening to the sound of my own breathing. It calmed me, and I drifted into semi-unconsciousness. I tried to remember the smell of the garden, of the beautiful nectar-heavy fruits. I was an innocent, absent-minded five year old, being pulled closer into the vastness of sleep…_

_At one point in the night, I heard my bedroom door creak open, and I listened as soft, gentle footsteps crept across the hardwood floor. I heard the glass case being lifted and set aside, and then the light noise of flower petals rustling. A smile swept over my face, for I knew that my mother was taking the flower. _

_I heard the footsteps again, and then the door creaked closed. I nestled myself in the sheets, trying to find a comfortable position so that I could sleep. I never found it, and instead, rose to m feet and switched on the lamp by my bed. The light blinded me for an instant, but my eyes recovered and adjusted. As I tip-toed to my bookshelf, I couldn't help but think how much less graceful and more clumsy I was than my mother. My feet made a soft _clunk_ing sound, as apposed to the light _tiff_ of my mother's footsteps. I climbed on top of my table, and scanned the shelf for a book that I hadn't yet read. It was unfeasible. I hopped onto the floor, and pushed my door open a crack. I snuck into my parents' room, and found my father snoring heavily, but no mother. I looked in three-year old sister's room, but my mother wasn't there, either. When I walked into the kitchen, I found that the sliding glass doors were left open, so I squeezed myself through the crack._

_I had found her. When I walked out onto the deck, I could see a beautiful figure, clad in a white gown, dancing through the shrubs and flowers. She was so beautiful, and I watched as she twirled farther and farther away from our house. At one point, she was so far off, that I jumped down the steps and waddled after her. I wanted to call out to her, but even I, being a five year old, had enough sense to know that doing so would only ruin the moment. Instead, I just walked in silence, by myself, in the middle of the night._

_Mom as not far ahead of me now, being maybe only three hundred yards or so away. When I had gotten about twenty feet closer, I saw it—the beautiful sakura flower, held close to her heart. I watched her seat herself on a stone—the same one she had sat on earlier in the day—and once again, I thought that she was the most beautiful creature in the world. She tucked the blossom behind her own ear now, and I thought that I had to be the daughter of some princess-goddess who escaped from fairyland._

_She leaned back, using her arms as support, and I watched the light from the stellar constellations play across her cheeks. I followed her eyes to look up at the stars, and took in deeply, for the first time, the amazing world of astronomy. It was also the first time I had ever fully appreciated the fact that my mother looked at this every night, and, now that I did, I knew that I should do the same. I stopped running to her, and came to a stop, settling myself on the path. I lay down, closed my eyes, the incredible lights of the night sky etched forever in my mind._

_I was stunned out of my peaceful state when I heard the sound of my sister's bawling. She didn't cry much; my mother had named her Yue, the Chinese word for moon. My mother adored the name, but I found it out of our own culture. Yet it suited her; rather than being an extrovert, like the sun, she was definitely more of an introvert, only crying when she was really afraid. I ignored it, because my father would tend to her soon enough._

_I lay back, and heard the sound of my sister's crying stop abruptly. The muscles in my body relaxed, and I once again focused on things I wanted to think about, like the stars and my mom. I heard my mother begin to hum a simple tune, one that was all-too familiar, the one she sang me to sleep with when I was younger. I smiled in bliss, for this was my world. This was the land where dreams and reality met, and I was on the brink of unconsciousness…_

_My father let out a scream. Glass shattered, and I quickly stood up. My mother had not taken notice to the small disturbances; she was still sitting on the rock, holding the flower close to her. She didn't see me. I saw the lights in my house flicker, but, again, my mother paid no attention. The lights of the stars were all she could think about. There were fast-paced footsteps, my father and his opponent trampling up the stairs. The light in the upstairs guestroom shut off, and I could hear a door slam. One last terrifying shriek from my father, and then there was silence. _

_I zipped down the path, towards the house, towards the danger. All the lights in the house were off; the power had been cut. I tripped over the deck, and stumbled in through the glass doors. "Dadda!" I yelled. I scrambled up the steps into the guestroom._

_At first, there seemed to be nothing. Everything seemed ordinary, the bedspread was set perfectly, and the abstract painting was on the wall, just the slightest bit crooked. Yes, everything seemed ordinary, that is, at eye level. When I took another step into the room, I nearly tripped over something—a hand. I crumpled to my knees and picked it up. It was still warm, but I could tell that the person was dying. I lit the bedside candle, and saw that it was my father's hand._

"_Dad!" I cried, and hugged him. I wept for a while, and then examined him more closely. He didn't seem to have broken anything, but there was blood trickling down his neck. I gasped. "What happened, dad?" He choked out inaudible words. I used the white sheet to wipe off his blood, and I saw two small, black holes in his throat. _Teeth, _I thought. _Like a vampire's._ My father coughed a few times, and I said, "Dad, what happened?"_

_He wheezed and pointed a feeble, bony finger to something behind me. I turned around. I saw before me a black-cloaked figure, and asked, "Who are you?" He smiled, revealing two sharp, glistening white teeth, dripping crimson blood into a little pool on the carpet. I only had seen him for a few seconds, for then he fled out the door, flying down the steps. I turned back to my father, who seemed to be telling me something. "What is it?" I leaned in close to him so I could hear the answer._

"_Sakura…your mother…" He embraced me, and fell back on the carpet, frozen in time, like stone. I stood there for countless moments, trying to make sense out of what he had just told me, but then I realized, _Mom!_ I slid down the banister, feeling a little guilty for leaving my dead father alone. The sliding doors were wide open now, and I let the cool night air greet me as I dashed into our garden._

_I saw my mother, gazing peacefully up at the stars, as if nothing had disturbed her at all. I ran out to her, hoping to reach her before the creature did. When I had gone about halfway there, I noticed a black figure, advancing on her quickly. He was five hundred yards away from her, but making great time. What puzzled me was that when he got about fifty feet away, he stopped. I stopped running, too, stunned and confused._

_For a few seconds, there seemed to be nothing. There was no noise, and nothing was moving. But then I saw it: a dart, silvery like water, with a dab of green poison on the tip. It was only then that I picked up my speed and started running again, but I was far too late. It had pierced her noiselessly, and my mother had fallen back into the cherry tree, shaking flowers to the ground. I couldn't think anymore, and ran, ran, ran…_

_A noise erupted from me, "MOM!" I followed the sound, hurling myself through the shrubs to reach her. When I had gotten to her, I saw that the dart was embedded deep in her chest, and that whoever threw it had remarkable aim. Not only had it gotten her right in her heart, but it had pinned the sakura blossom to her body as well. The wound itself could be fixed by some very skilled doctors, but the poison was already working, killing her, tearing her apart from the inside out. I smelled it: acid. It smelled sour, and it was burning her heart. There was no blood, it was a clean wound, but I fell to my knees by her side nevertheless. "Mama!" I shrieked, and hugged her close to me. Her body was cold; she was already half dead._

"_Sakura!" She said. Though she was weak, her voice was still strong. "Sakura, look behind you!" I turned, and a wave of unbearable pain overwhelmed me. The thing had me; its teeth were planted in my throat. I could hear whispers as my blood was draining from my body. It smiled deviously, and dropped me to an unforgiving floor, where I wept for the rest of the evening. It bounded off into the night, leaving me there with a dead family._

_After I had wiped the blood off my neck with the back of my hand, I crawled back to my mother. She was long gone; her body was still and the heat had disappeared. I used every ounce of energy in my body to take the dart out of her. I held it up to the moon, and saw that it was the most amazing weapon I had ever seen. The acid dripped into the dirt, and it mingled with my blood. I tucked it into the folds of my robe, and curled up on the floor by my mother, hoping it was all just a dream. I let myself be swallowed by oblivion, as I drifted off into a dreamless sleep. _


End file.
